Bernian Technology
Due to its almost total lack of magic, since ancient times, the region of Bern has developed a strong innovative streak. The result of this has been a region that is more exclusively reliant in technology than most places in Kyth and Avani. This is a reference guide which encompasses mostly the Medieval roleplay, since the magic and technology divide is most prominent there, but may at some point include other things, who knows? Despite the title of the article, unless stated, the technology is not exclusive to Bern and other regions can have dibs too. Sharing is caring. Overview Technology is perhaps a misleading term, since it encompasses all aspects of science that has a stronghold in Bern. Scientific research is most commonly conducted by the church, in particular the monks who live in Bern. They believe that through exploration of the natural world, they can be closer to admiring and understanding the Lord Woo's creation. Destrier and Palfrey are the two biggest sources of this research, though other monsteries contribute too. While each monk's research is individual, some do undertake projects for noble patrons or work on something with the exclusive goal of finding a patron. House Stallion are one of the biggest sponsors of new technology in Bern, though they only finance research which is beneficial to them in the long run. However, they have been great drivers of progress since the inception of the House, as encompassed by their House words "Charge Towards Tomorrow". While care is taken to ensure that Bernian technology does not break the suspension of disbelief too much, it is generally more advanced than the real medieval European technology of 1314, in particular in areas such as medicine. Physicians Not having the healing magic which is such a lifesaver down in places that have it, such as Courdon and Corvus, Bern has nevertheless developed its own healers, most commonly referred to as physicians. The quality of physicians does vary from the worst snake oil sellers to the best licensed physicians that come out of the college in Destrier. The former are more commonly found amongst the poor and remote villages but the latter are in the service of the nobility and whoever can afford their services. A fully qualified, educated physician, however, can often mean the line between life and death, as they are trained extensively in medicine and are at the forefront of medical knowledge and discovery. Training The training process for a physician is a long and expensive one so usually only the upper-classes manage. Very talented but poorer children often have to save up for years and work hard to get through tuition, whilst the education is barely available to peasants at all without some kind of sponsor. The only place to do it is the college in Destrier, with other places offering some medical education but that one is acknowledged to be the best of the best due to the wide variety of subjects it covers and the high quality of education and research that is provided. To get their license, a physician has to study for ten years in total, spending the first four years learning medicine, including performing anatomy studies on the bodies of criminals, a year doing specialised work, then another five in an apprenticeship to a qualified physician, something which is arranged for them by the college thanks to them maintaining links with their alumni. When that is done, they obtain their license and graduate into a fully qualified physician. From there, their employment options are either to open a practice or to go into the dedicated service of a rich individual. Most noble households have a dedicated live-in physician to look after them when they are ill. Training to be a physician is a gruelling, long process, and not for the faint of stomach, especially when it comes to dissections. There is an ongoing controversy about using corpses in particular. Many a physician had to learn to put their ethics aside and participate in this if they want to get their license.The opinion of the college is that it is necessary, though this is often challenged by the Wooist priests and monks of Bern. Some, in particular the Destrier ones, view it as a necessary evil, but others see it as an abomination. There have been cases where monks have refused to cooperate with physicians once they found about this practice. Questionable also is the source of the bodies. Officially, the college uses executed criminals but demand often outstrips supply. Grave-robbing carries very harsh penalties if caught in the act but it does occur as physicians do not often ask questions about the source of their bodies. There is a black market trading in the bodies of paupers who were too poor to afford a burial and thus the families sell their dead to the college. Due to the relative lack of criminals of that gender, female corpses carry a higher premium than male and are almost exclusively from the black market. Techniques The medical techniques of physicians are not as sophisticated, quick or elegant as that of a mage healer as they still rely on the process of time and the natural healing abilities of the human body to work but they do know how to diagnose an illness, speed up the healing process and prevent disease from happening. This is from a combination of anatomical knowledge and through careful mixtures of herbs and chemicals to create medicines. They are not like modern pharmaceuticals but can be highly concentrated to maximise their effectiveness. These medicines range in use from preventing pain to treating specific ailments. These have been developed both by qualified physicians in their spare time and by monks from various monasteries who cooperate with the college and medical professionals in sharing their discoveries. Physicians also know about the importance of hygiene. They are capable of performing operations, and are aware that they are best done while the subject is asleep, but have not yet developed effective anesthesia which will keep the subject asleep and not kill them. Finding that is a highly lucrative discovery and many people, monks and physicians alike, look and experiment with different substances to create such a miracle. In the meantime, operations continue to be risky, painful and dangerous, and while many physicians try their best to make the patient as comfortable and healthy as possible, surgery, especially invasive surgery, is often the last resort. As with mage healers, physicians have very little knowledge treating neurological diseases or diseases of the mind. Such things, unfortunately, rarely get treated, let alone healed. Midwives Without any exceptions, physicians are male, but there does exist an option for women who wish to go into the field: midwifery. It is an invaluable service, especially to the nobility due to the importance of continuing the family line for them. A qualified midwife is one of the most important people to have around during a woman's pregnancy and childbirth, and given how dangerous the process is, she is the person often standing between life and death for both mother and child. Midwife training occupies a small and cut-off part of the college. Potential midwives are mostly provided their own faculties which are more suited to their needs to prevent mixing as much as possible, though some places such as the library and main courtyard are open to everyone. Fraternisation between unmarried physicians and midwives is forbidden but marriage is encouraged and frequently does happen, for a physician and a midwife together make a formidable team. Generally, these women are highly respected by their male counterparts for the services they provide, though due to the age and maturity of many physicians when they begin training, juvinile pranks are not uncommon. Fortunately, the trainee midwives can give just as good as they can get. In theory, the two professions are completely separate but in practice, due to their proximtiy and the ways they can work together, physicians and midwives end up sharing some knowledge to help with their respective jobs (i.e. a physician learns about the symptoms of a pregnancy and what medicines to avoid giving a pregnant woman whilst a midwive learns about general treatments for various common ailments so they can adjust their work if the woman or child they are watching over falls ill.) A midwife's training takes a shorter amount of time than a physicians, seven years instead of ten, due to the specialisation, but it is not any less intense. Three years are spent learning medicine and four are spent working as an assistant to a qualified midwife. Once she recieves her license, she usually sets up a practice but is available for temporary hire during which she functions as a live-in physician would, with the only difference is that she is let go once the child is old enough that her services are no longer required as much. Midwives also partake in anatomical studies, though due to the lack of female bodies, especially pregnant ones, the methods they use to acquire corpses are even less savoury than the physicians'. It is an open secret that they do business with the brothels of the city, buying any dead women they have for a premium, and most chose to turn a blind eye to this due to the invaluable training the midwives recieve from this unsavoury practice. Medicines A partial and incomplete list of medicines available: * Painkillers- these range from weak, for the curing of headaches and such, to strong, such as those used to dull pain during operations. The latter, however, should only be used in small doses as they are addictive. Weak painkillers are usually extracted from willow, while the strong are most commonly poppy extract, though there are variants. Proper anaesthesia, however, is not available. * Birth control- is a thing, consisting of a pill for women to take. Peasants with knowledge of herbs can prepare their own but the proper concentrated extract which works and works well is expensive and is found in lesser numbers. It functions similar to a modern morning-after pill, with no hormonal birth control being available yet. * Chemical/herbal baths- for the removal of biting insects and lice from the human body. It is a herbal and chemical mixture and is highly unpleasant but generally not toxic unless it is taken in large doses. Can also be used to wash clothes in as well as the self. Most commonly found as a tincture, rarely mixed with soap. Palfrey University Destrier's monastery has retained its primary function but in Palfrey, the freedoms granted to the church there have allowed for an establishment to flourish which is not only religious but a wellspring of knowledge. This has come to be known as Palfrey's University and it is responsible for the output of the most learned people in Bern. Having a university-educated tutor is considered a high status symbol. Palfrey University can trace its origins in the late 1180s. When the minor House of Chestnut ceased to exist, their territory was divided by Stallion. A chunk went to Sabino and another to Allendale but Stallion took the lion's share. Under Chestnut, Palfrey had flourished into a major religious centre and its monks had made great progress in researching and preserving science, as well as educating the populace and creating a sizeable intellectual population in the city. Thus, when the land went to Stallion, Grand Duke Agrippa visited Palfrey and being a man keen on the sciences and research, what he saw there impressed him. He got the idea to grant the monastery of Palfrey its own charter: give them land in exchange for their work in sciences and education. This allowed the church to finance itself but in exchange, Agrippa asked for their research to be give to Stallion for use and for Palfrey to send one of their best tutors to be the teacher to the next heir to Stallion. Though subsequent Grand Dukes have been less keen on Palfrey's church being a landowner and thus having power, this agreement is too valuable has been maintained ever since. A degree from Palfrey university is expensive and, much like the physician's training, is often pursued only by minor nobility and merchants as well as rich craftsmen. It takes six years and covers education in theology, law, mathematics, logic, physics and grammar. Specialised study can also be undertaken with the monks but that takes many more years. However, a degree can open paths into tutoring, progression into the church or various other high-paid careers which require an educated mind. Some students can even establish independent research away from Palfrey if they find a patron. It is considered highly prestigeous to own a degree from the university. Messenger Pigeons A technique which has spread outside of Bern, pigeons are nevertheless used extensively in the region for the fast delivery of messages. Though used by commoners, extensive dovecotes are kept by the noble Houses, with Stallion in particular having dovecotes in all of the capitals of the regions of Kyth. The Medieville one, however, also doubles as a spy service to keep the Stallions informed on goings-on in the capital. The capsules that hold the message are colour-coded depending on the urgency of the message inside. *Green: All is well, not urgent. Used for common messages which the writer wants to deliver faster than a courier for whatever reason. *Yellow: A priority message to be seen to as soon as possible. *Red: A very important message, the recipient should stop whatever they are doing. *Black: A crisis situation. Used only for the direst emergencies, such as the declaration of war. Anti-Magic Components Because of the non-magical nature of the people of Bern, they have always been vulnerable to magic attacks. This, coupled with the ongoing rivalry of Stallion with the most powerful mage House in Kyth, House Jade, forced the creation of anti-magic devices. It has been common wisdom in the land that salt, silver and iron repel magical creatures but this was hardly enough, as magic was rarely affected any of those. It was, however, a start on which to base research. These resulted in several unique compounds being created that are effective against magic. They work as non-magical shields against magic, functioning to defend their bearer against magic directed at them, whether it is benevolent or hostile. Though Bernians have a natural magic resistance, it is rarely enough to prevent the effects of spells, whereas these compounds allow for protection on par with a magical ward and give a mage and a non-mage a more equal playing field in a fight. A creative mage or a mage trained in combat can still take on a person with one of these compounds but that requires more care and the non-mage can exercise their own fighting prowress. There are two kinds of anti-magic component found in Bern: an absorbent and a conductor. Both require similar processes to create them but there is a fundamental difference in ingredients required and the properties of the finished product. They rely on the concept of magic as energy and use that energy in their own ways. However, they will only pick up the magical energy if it is active. Thus an enchanted object with a spell on it which is not currently activated will not be affected or affect either anti-magic compound. Absorbent Compound Absorbent compounds work by using the magic as a trigger to power a chemical reaction. There are several different formulas, all consisting of the reactants as well as an inhibitor, as well as trace amount of other elements in order to improve reactivity, stability, etc.. When a spell is cast, magic overpowers the inhibitor and gives the reagents enough energy to allow the chemical reaction to occur. It can be exothermic in nature, although endothermic is preferred as exothermic reactions require extra layers of insulator to protect the bearer from the heat released. The reaction is usually irreversible and the compound needs to be regularly replaced. How much magic can be absorbed depends on the size and exact formula used, resulting in variation in colour, efficiency and potency. Because they are cheaper and have more variety, they are more often used by common people, though they are worth a significant amount of money and are therefore a sizeable investment. Merchants who head into lands where magic is common who do not wish to invest in magical protection for whatever reasons are the most frequent users of absorbents. However, they have also been used in the past by nobles who could not or would not acquire this compound’s more efficient and far more expensive cousin; the conductor. Conductor Compound Conductor compounds do exactly as they say, that is they conduct the magic away from the target and either back at the user or towards another target. The active ingredients of an anti-magic conductor are silver dissolved in mercury to form an amalgam with magnetised iron particles suspended inside to give it a magnetic field, which directs the magical energy towards the conductor. Like with an absorbent, there are also other trace metals and elements to help with its stability and improve function. Unlike the absorbent compounds, however, there is only one variety in existence and it is coloured silver. A conductor’s creation process is incredibly complex due to the rarity of the materials, the precise amounts and purity required and the process of magnetisation, all of which make this compound a precious and expensive commodity. It is incredibly rare outside the nobility, especially with the greater availability of absorbents which work just as well for this purpose. The creation of it also takes an extensive amount of time. However, the advantage they have over absorbents is that they never wear out and do not need to be replaced, and they can also, with some practice and creative angling, reflect spells back at the attacker. Nevertheless, great amounts of magic can make the amalgam shatter, often with unpleasant consequences for the wearer, such as wounds or burns. Eventually, time will tarnish the mercury and silver, rendering it useless or too dangerous to use, but that process can take years. A good conductor can last for a lifetime. Another drawback however, is that due to the materials required, the compound is toxic. It is often set into a ceramic shell to protect the user from the toxic side-effects and to stop any stray magic from being redirected at them through the compound. They are preferred by those who have to frequently tangle with mages. In the past, the compound has been used by House Stallion to counter the magic of the Jade rivals. Conductors, due to their metallic nature, can also be used to plate other objects and give them anti-magic properties. However, this makes them more fragile and prone to breakage, as well as the magnetism giving them unusual properties. Also, due to their toxicity, however, they are rarely used for objects which see much handling and human contact, such as the Stallion circlet. However, this is not the case with the Stallion Gauntlet (see below). Other Information Both compounds are most commonly created and exported as solids, though liquid absorbents suspended in a shell do exist. It was Grand Duke Agrippa who experimented thoroughly with the compounds; in the end perfecting the technique to concentrate them make them into stones, ranging in size from a quail to a chicken egg. As a result, they could be integrated into jewellery or concealed in the hilt of a sword while gaining a lot of potency. However, he also died of mercury poisoning due to his work with the conductors, warning of their danger to any future Grand Dukes who wish to over-rely on this device. Conductors and absorbents alike require a precise amount of ingredients mixed together in a certain way to guarantee stability, then compressed and distilled until the end result is a solid, or in the case of conductors, heated and joined together to create the perfect chemical structure to redirect magic. The formulas and techniques used for the creation of these compounds are very carefully guarded secrets, with alchemists often guarding them jealously. The creation of conductors especially is very carefully managed by House Stallion due to their incredible value and their need to keep this important technology a secret from their mage rivals. Colloquial names for the absorbents vary depending on formula and region, often naming them after the colour, whether it is a solid or a liquid or whether it gives off or absorbs heat. Cheekily, some call them ‘wards’ while others name them ‘counters’. The conductor, however, has one unified name, given to it due to its colour and by its long association with Stallion: ‘horse’s star’ The Stallion Gauntlet Game Mechanics The Stallion Gauntlet was the power item of House Stallion. It was smashed by the Shadows for quest points in Round Eight. In-Story It is an intricate device shaped, as is suggested by the name, like a knight's gauntlet but differs from an ordinary gauntlet in several ways. The first is in the materials used to create it. Its steel is unique in the rippling pattern that it displays and the extreme strength of possesses, so strong that it can only be broken by magic. Silver is used to accent the joints but this type of steel is the main component of the gauntlet. Said steel is rumoured to have come from a faraway land but been shaped by Bernian blacksmiths. It is coated with a fine layer of anti-magic conductor, something which tripled the cost of this device. It is said that this was the first device which was coated with this anti-magic compound. However, given the history of both technologies, the coating is a later addition. The second property of the Stallion Gauntlet is the system of pistons connecting the back of the gauntlet's hand to the fingers. They contain pressurised air, air which expands or contracts with the movement of the hand. This enables the gauntlet's wearer to have incredible strength, enough to easily crush a walnut in their hand. It was commissioned in the late 1090s by Grand Duke Landry Stallion of Bern, from a visionary inventor ahead of his time, though unfortunately that inventor's name is lost to history. Landry wanted a device to embody the power and potential of technology. What he ended up with, however, was something that was more impressive than practical, used to wow those to whom the House want to demonstrate their power to. Beyond it, it has very little use. When it was smashed by the Shadows, the magic of the sword overpowered the conductor compound and caused it to liquify. The screaming was the pressured air escaping. At some point after the events of Medieval, King Galateo would recieve a bill for the cost of repairing and recreating the Gauntlet. The Inventor Role Game Mechanics In-game, it was a role held by one of the initial four players of House Stallion. The Inventor was the House Stallion faction counterpart to the Archmage. Each night the Inventor could do the following actions, all with the exception of one used a major move: *Use one of their already learned inventions. The Inventor could learn up to five from a pre-set list. *Learn the next invention on the list *Teach an invention. Only the InstantWine and Create-a-Jewel were teachable. *Perform a netural action. Inventor's Toolkit and Inventions A handy list of all the inventions found in the toolkit, their game mechanic and their effect in canon. If the toolkit was stolen by the Thief, only the first two inventions could be used. It should be noted, however, that with the exception of the Perfect Weapon, none of the items actually appeared in canon. In-Story In the roleplay itself, the Inventor role was held by Ambrose Stallion, and though he is certainly not the only inventor in Bern, or even the most gifted, he is the most unique. His inventing began purely as a coping mechanism and he has no training except what he learned himself. Due to his ability to see the future, he is privy to future technology and can therefore attempt, if he wishes, to recreate that technology in his own time when he is lucid. The process, however, is extensive, requiring him to work out the mechanics of the invention based on what he saw and that alone. Though some visions are more generous than others, it takes a lot of drafts before he can create something that works like the thing he saw. Experience, a gift for problem-solving and a lot of free time, however, allow him to do just that. Inventions mentioned in canon at any point: *'Alain's cane'- the Grand Duke's cane contains a hidden blade which can be released from its wooden scabbard with the press of a switch. While it is a very simple mechanism, it is notable in that Ambrose created it for his brother without any external visions, only what he learned during the process of invention. The first design of the cane was more practical to allow for support while walking, due to being invented to help Alain walk after he broke his leg during the second Seraphim war. The current design (see above) that he carries around is more of use as a sword than a cane. Appears in "Inventor's Gift" and anytime Alain is present anywhere after 1299. * The Weapon- Basically looks like a wheelock pistol. Though it was years in the making, it was finished by Ambrose during the events of the Medieval roleplay, much to his horror. After its creation, it was taken by Alain, who saw its usefulness. In canon it was locked away and never fired, only being used to threaten Duval during the Bloody Coronation but it has been used in AUs to kill. Appears in "The Weapon's Birth" and in AU, "Kill" and "From The Ashes" to murder Leif. * Lock-''' The Iron Clasp, which is a complex lock mechanism as mentioned above. Ambrose is not sure what kind of lock it is exactly. It was mentioned in "Locks, Talks and Hard Knocks". * 'Prosthetic limbs-' Mentioned to be something he was working on in "Hammered!" Assumed to be a prosthetic leg which has full function, probably via clockwork. * '''Spectacles- Though glasses do exist in some form or another, Ambrose has created frames more resembling modern ones. He wears them later in life and they can be seen on his great-great-nephew, Ainsley. * Metronome- '''A gift he created for Joffery Jade to celebrate the latter's wedding. It's probably just a standard metronome. * '''Astrolabe- Created at some point in the past, mentioned as being an invention that Ambrose asked Clarissa to craft the parts for in order to see if she was a good enough blacksmith to help him with his work. (Ambrose, I'll compile a full list of your inventions later, I promise.) Miscellaneous A collection of details which don't really belong anywhere but are worth mentioning. *'Gunpowder'. It is a thing, though with the exception of the Weapon, it is not used for weaponry yet. Generally, gunpowder stores are found in stone-quarrying districts. It is not uncommon to hear explosions around major quarries. *'Mechanical clocks' have been invented but they are not yet widespread due to being perfected. They most likely begin to appear out in the public sphere by the 1350s, though probably are only the realm of nobles. The idea of using gears for things, however, is older. **General non-magical timekeeping devices are sundials, water clocks and hourglasses. *'Printing Presses' do not exist yet. They will, at some point, but definitely outside the current scope of Medieverse. Paper, however, does exist in the form of parchment, not just vellum. Category:Medieval